Lovett School Resource Network - Senior English Memoir Projects

Project Timeline

Thursday, 3/19 1st and 7th (B day)-Introduction
Tuesday 3/24 1st and 7th (E day)-Scripting
Thursday 3/26 1st and 7th (F day)-Start Selecting Images
Monday 3/30 1st and 7th (A day)-Finish Image selecting
Tuesday 3/31 1st and 7th (B day)-imovie, add title and images
Wednesday 4/1 1st and 7th (C day)-Voice
Friday 4/3 1st and 7th (E day)-Finish voice
Monday 4/6 1st and 7th (F day)-Music
Wednesday 4/8 1st and 7th (A day)-credits and finishing touches
Thursday 4/9 1st and 7th (B day)-final day in lab if needed

Introduction (Thursday, March 19)

Moving from Memoir to Digital Storytelling

Goal: Students will each complete a digital story based on a personal narrative demonstrating critical thinking, media literacy, development of voice, value of collaboration, and creativity.

I. Comparison: Text, Audio, Multimedia

Text (New York Minute)
Audio (New York Minute) to DS
Video Samples (note: Best to preload in advance.)
http://www.storycenter.org/stories/ (My Story by Kim Dennis)
http://jakes.editme.com/dst (New York Minute, IKEA, Nike, True America)
http://lovettdigitalstories.ning.com (Einstein's Salad, John Enright, Debi O'Hayon)

II. The Seven Elements

(read pages 14-24 only )

digital storytelling cookbook.pdf

III. Plan

Script Writing and Review
iMovie Overview
Image Sourcing (Creative Commons/Flickr)
Audio Recording
Music Sourcing

Scripting (Tuesday, March 24)

I. Completed Memoir Due

II. Script Writing Guidelines

Prepare it to be short: 8-12 sentences (really!)
Condense memoir (if it is about a singular event or idea) or find the gem/moment of truth/story inside the story and build it out.
You've written the personal narrative. This isn't another personal narrative! You're stripping it to its essence, then building out with images, and other elements (music, voice).
Two tracks of meaning: (1) Auditory (music and voice) and (2) Visual (images and video (not this time guys...))
Once you start choosing images (and music) your script might change. (Mine did.) Be prepared to be flexible, patient...creativity takes time!

III. Goal

By the end of class or certainly before class on Thursday you need to have a script that has been reviewed and "passed" by Ms. O'Hayon or Ms. Deisley.

Sourcing Images (Thursday, March 26 and Monday, March 30)

I. Two choices for images

A. Your own digital photos: These are photos taken by you, therefore protected with you as copyright owner. If these are not yours, then see #2)
B. Not your own digital photos: You must have permission from the photographer to use their photos in your digital story.

Why? Just because it is "easy" to copy and save a digital image that is posted online (Facebook, Flickr, Shutterfly, any website) doesn't mean it is the right thing to do! Check this out if you want to see why: http://thenetwork.typepad.com/architectureofideas/2008/07/when-your-audie.html

So, you have two options for "not your own" digital photos:

If you know the person personally, then ask for their written permission to use the photo.
Source photos that carry a Creative Commons license that permits you to use the photo if you (1) give attribution (credit); (2)
give attribution (credit) and use for non-commercial purposes

Where do you find photos with a Creative Commons license?

http://search.creativecommons.org
or (best choice) Flickr Storm: http://www.zoo-m.com/flickr-storm/ and use advanced search for CC-licensed photos (see drop-down menu of choices--choose first or second categories)

II. Things to keep in mind

Store all your photos in a folder on your flash drive or upload a folder to the server.
Download the largest size you can--at least 500 or 600 pixels square if possible.
8-12 photos should be plenty. However, select more than you'll need in case you make changes.
Keep track of the name of the photo, photographer's userid and the url to the specific photo. The best way to is to copy it and paste it into a Text Editor or Word Doc.
Image choice is important. We've talked about this: Best images are most likely not literal interpretations of your script! Remember: two tracks of meaning?! The photos will bring most of the emotional context. Think back to the digital stories you've watched. Which were the most effective? Commericals? Does the narration match the photo/video? Work on this...it matters.

iMovie HD Intro, Adding Pictures and Titles (Tuesday, March 31)

Getting Started

Note: Use Mac's Spotlight Tool to find things, including non-docked applications.

Search and open iMovie HD instead of iMovie 08 because of ease of use. Will use iMovie 09 next year when it is added to the school computers' images.
Note: Make sure students use school computers for this part of project. Most likely their Mac laptops from home have 08 installed, not HD.
Change View setting to "Timeline Viewer" so that the three tracks display below the movie player.

Importing Images

Upload images (one at a time is preferable). To do so, select File>Import and choose image file(s) to import. Images will load and appear in the clips window to the right of the player.
Drag images to the timeline section designated for clips.

Image Effects

Ken Burns effect (pan and zoom) is the default for each photo. Can modify with "on" or "off," as well as speed of process and depth of zoom.
Length of image viewing (how long it stays on screen) is set at 5 seconds. This can be changed.
To change the photo settings, click on the photo (it must be in the timeline), then click on Media and then Show Photo Settings. You can modify the Ken Burns effect as well as the length of photo display in this area.
Note: Important to decide on Ken Burns' effects and other transitions before you record the audio. It will make a difference to the syncing of your images and audio. Also, you will not want every photo to have an effect, nor the same effect.

Other Transitions

Click on Editing Tab (next to Clips, Themes, and Media). You will see tabs across the top: Titles, Transitions, VIdeo FX, Audio FX. Click on Transitions and explore the options using one of your photos. To add a transition, click on the image, click on the transition, and then click "Add."

Adding Titles

Click on Editing Tab and then click on Titles. You will find a large variety of title options. Add title text to the box and then select what title style you would prefer.
If you add a title to one of your photos, the photo will become a movie file. You will need to synchronize the timing of the photo (how long it is on the screen) with the timing of the title scroll. This can be tricky, and frustrating! See Mrs. Deisley if you want to do this.

Moving Images and Inserting Black Slides

To move an image, highlight the image, go to the main navigation bar (across the top) and click on "Cut." Then locate where you want the image to appear in your timeline, click on the photo that will come after your inserted slide, and click "Paste."
To insert a black screen, go to Titles, Select Centered Title, erase all the text in the text box, and click Add.

Saving Your Work In Progress

You will be working on different computers over the course of the iMovie production. You will need either a flash drive OR access to your server folder. Mrs. Deisley also has a portable external hard drive for those with files that get too large to upload. Note: the file you are working with is an application-specific file. That means, it is only viewable and editable at the moment when using iMovie HD. When the projects are finished, we will export them into file formats that can be viewed by most computers worldwide. NOTE: When you are working on your files, please make sure that you are working "locally" on your computer--not on the flash drive and not on the server. This means you need to drag your file onto your desktop each time you want to work on it. Then, when you're finished, you can save to the server, flash drive, or external hard drive (see Mrs. Deisley).

Voice Recording (Wednesday and Friday, April 1 and 3)

Noise-canceling headsets are the best option for recording. The Macbook microphone does not provide the best quality. Lovett has headsets available in the technology labs. Even though the headsets block out some noise, it is best to find a quiet place to record.
Test the microphone sound levels before you attempt to record your story. I recommend that you record, then take the headphones out of the USB port and listen to the sound level. This is just a great way to double check on sound level. Make sure your voice is loud enough!
To record voice, click on Media, then Audio and select iTunes (or Garage Band). You will see the record button.
Some people prefer to record the audio of the entire piece in one segment. Or you may record it in segments and then align the segments with your images. Also, if you record in one long segment and make an error, you've got to re-record.
Practice makes perfect. ;)

Adding Music (Monday and Wednesday, April 6 and 8)

Music Sources: (freeplaymusic.com and freesounds.org) OR 30 seconds of your favorite music.
Download music selection as a mp3 file to your desktop. Import to iMovie.
Audio Volume Levels: Click on View, Select Clip Volume Levels. A bar will appear across each audio track. You will use the mouse to grab the bar and adjust the settings (lower, higher) as appropriate.
Clips: If you need to cut the music clip, take it into Garage Band and split it there. Once you have the appropriate segment, export the file as an MP3 so that you can import it into iMovie.
Reminder: Music is meant to enhance the project. Selecting music is very important, and the placement of music is key. Use music carefully!

Finalizing the Project, Saving, and Sharing (Thursday and Tuesday, April 9 and 14)

Make sure the voice and music levels are well-synced. You don't want a voice that is too soft or music that overpowers the story.
Adjust photo length, the use (or not) of black transition slides, the use (or overuse) of special effects, etc. You're looking for the right balance, and it's different for every story.
The project should be saved in iMovie. When it is completely finished, then you will "share" it in two formats: Quicktime-Web Streaming and Quicktime-Full Quality. You can select these options under the Share tab. Save these files to your desktop, and then let Mrs. Deisley know and she will bring the external hard drive over to save them there as well. She will burn a full-quality DVD for each student, and each story will also be uploaded to a digital video sharing site. (See below.)